Triest Talk

​I've owned our family's 114 year old insurance agency for 30 years and have seen my share of auto insurance claims. The rapidly increasing number of drivers in Charleston is alarming. Last November the Post & Courier published an article that drivers in South Carolina are the 3rd worst in the country. I am most concerned about roads like Sam Rittenberg Blvd that have what is called a "suicide lane". This is the middle turn lane that drivers can use to turn left. Two cars driving in opposite directions can enter at anytime to turn left and if not careful then they'll collide head-on in the suicide lane. Not having a median also allows drivers to cross over lanes turning left and trying to dodge oncoming traffic from up to three lanes. During rush hour times two lanes may be stopped and a driver will try to cross left and not look to see if the third lane is also stopped. A very serious situation. The third problem with the center turn lane is that some drivers think they can use this lane for hundreds of yards before turning. This poses a dire risk to all of the jay walkers who day and night walk across multi lane roads like Sam Rittenberg and foolishly think it is safe to stop in the center lane. The day after Christmas a neighbor of mine was hit and killed doing just this trying to cross on foot across Maybank Highway to see a movie at the Terrace Theater.

What can be done? The best course of action would be to get rid of the suicide lanes and provide a buffer between the two oncoming traffic flows. Thus providing carefully planned left turn lanes mainly located at stop lights. The center turn lane or suicide lane is just a bad idea and dangerous. A buffer with beautiful landscaping and trees down Sam Rittenberg or similar roads would help make our eye sore toad pallatible. The second thing that needs to be done is we need in South Carolina a law regarding illegal use of the center turn lane. We have none that is specific to this lane that I can find. So Joe Badriver can drive 3 football fields down the center turn lane before turning left. All the while putting his life and other drivers and pedestrians at risk. Georgia has such a law, GA Traffic Code 40-6-126.

Central lane for turning - "Whenever a highway or roadway has a central lane in which traffic may enter from either direction for the purposes of making a left turn, no vehicle shall be driven into such central lane except for the purpose of making a left turn, and no vehicle shall enter into such central lane at a location which is more than 300 feet from the location where the vehicle will turn left across one or more lanes of oncoming traffic. No vehicle which has been driven into such a central lane shall be operated in such central lane for more than 300 feet."

In Georgia you have 300 feet or the equivalent of one football field to make your left turn. If the good drivers out there are to remain safe driving down roads like Sam Rittenberg then we need to have a center lane law like Georgia and hopefully one day phase out all center lanes altogether. Without action like what I've proposed our auto insurance premiums will only increase. Lets be proactive here in Charleston to keep our residents safe and our auto insurance rates as low as possible.